Hilton Santa Marta Pozos Colorados (imagery: © Hilton Worldwide)

Poring through the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database, our researchers have found that Latin America’s hotel market is growing steadily, with Mexico leading the way.

Latin America will see 513 new hotel schemes and 128,612 keys added to its offering over the coming years, according to exclusive figures from our research team. We find out more about the upcoming openings – and identify the region’s most promising developments.

Latin America’s hotel openings by year

In the last few months of 2021, 124 hotels with 26,154 rooms are set to open their doors across the region. However, 2022 will also be busy, with 185 projects and 45,495 keys due to go live.

Things will slow down slightly in 2023, as currently only 98 launches and 19,847 new rooms are being planned. Meanwhile, another 106 properties and 37,116 keys are already in the pipeline for 2024 and beyond.

Of Latin America’s 513 new hotels, 249 will be in the four-star segment and 264 are heading for a five-star classification.

Top national growth markets in Latin America

Mexico takes a decisive lead in our country-by-country breakdown, with 139 schemes and 33,137 keys on its books.

Brazil follows in a distant second, with 69 new hotels and 14,944 rooms on their way. Argentina takes third place courtesy of its tally of 38 active projects and 4,153 keys, while Colombia will see 36 properties with 6,152 rooms open soon.

Finally, the Dominican Republic has 30 hotels under construction, but accounts for a whopping 20,320 rooms thanks to the presence of a few mega-projects on its development slate.

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Key urban growth markets in Latin America

Given Mexico’s robust pipeline, it’s hardly surprising that three of the top five urban hotel markets in Latin America are in this vast country. The tourist hotspot of Tulum comes out top with 16 new hotels and 4,067 rooms due to open, although Mexico City’s right behind with 15 ongoing projects and 2,305 keys.

Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic interrupts Mexico’s run with 13 planned openings, which will bring a staggering 15,210 rooms into play. Interestingly, this means Punta Cana comfortably beats the rest of the top five (and even some national markets) in terms of room count.

In fourth place, Cancún, another attractive seaside destination in Mexico, will see 11 properties with 4,931 rooms completed. And the Peruvian capital Lima rounds out our rankings with ten new hotels and 1,820 keys.

International hotel brands expanding in Latin America

Hilton Worldwide is clearly pushing for growth in a big way across the region, having landed two of its brands on this list.

Hilton Garden Inn is at the top with 14 projects and 1,886 keys on the way. Not far behind, however, is Hampton by Hilton, which is planning to grow its footprint by 12 properties and 1,511 rooms.

Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos concludes the top three with 11 openings, due to add 5,222 rooms to its existing portfolio.

The hotel openings you should watch out for

The first major opening worth mentioning is Hilton Santa Marta Pozos Colorados, which will debut on Colombia’s north coast in early 2022. This 17-storey property will offer 261 rooms, executive rooms and suites, a signature restaurant, an executive lunch restaurant and four bars. Other notable amenities on the cards include an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, a world-class spa and more than 11,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space – including a nearly 4,500 sq ft ballroom.

Later that same year, in Q3 2022, Hilton Garden Inn Sao Jose Do Rio Preto will make its debut as part of Georgina Business Park in the southern area of São Paulo. The 134-room property will be only five minutes away from major commercial areas, and conveniently placed for the airport. As for those rooms, corporate guests will find various features to help make their trips more productive, such as a spacious desk and ergonomic chair.

Finally, Blackadore Caye will open in Belize towards the end of 2023 and is aiming to be the greenest island resort ever built. It’ll incorporate sustainable building techniques that restore and regenerate the surrounding ecosystem and reverse the effects of climate change. In total, this showcase of biophilic design will feature 68 villas, 48 estate homes and a private clubhouse.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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